Certain channels can't change/zap to all other channels (1 Viewer)

[nschoot]

TV-Server Version: 1.0.0.0 RC2
MediaPortal Version: 1.0.0.0 RC2
MediaPortal Skin: Monochrome
Windows Version: Microsoft Windows NT 5.1.5512 (XP Pro) Service Pack 3
CPU Type: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+ running at ~2050 MHz.
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint HD401LJ 400GB
Memory: 4GB
Motherboard: Asus K8V Deluxe
Video Card: Sapphire ATI Radeon 2600 XT
Video Card Driver: Catalyst 8.6
Sound Card: SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver: 5.12.1.3663
1. TV Card: FloppyDTV C/CI
1. TV Card Type: DVB-C
1. TV Card Driver: Firmware 2.4.0, Driver:4.8.0.0
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: ATI CC Multiplexer Temporarily MPV because of blank screen issue
MPEG2 Audio Codec: MPA Decoder Filter
h.264 Video Codec: Cyberlink h.264 codec
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Ziggo (@Home)
HTPC Case: DIGN
Cooling: Papst
Power Supply: ichbinleise 280Watt
Remote: Logitech Harmony 555
TV: Saumsung LE32R72B
TV - HTPC Connection: DVI->HDMI

This has been there quite some time, but never took the effort to file it as a possible bug. I checked the bugtracker, but couldn't find this one:

Somehow when I am watching "Nederland 1", I can only zap to "RTL 5" or "Discovery Channel". Other channels give me either "No free card available" and/or "Unable to start Timeshifting". No other channels have this and when I am on RTL 5, I can switch to any other channel. The logs should show me trying to go from "1" to "2" a few times and failing, then succesfullying going to 5.

I did a few clean installs and rescanned the whole channel list from scratch, but this didn't help. Somehow from Channel 1, I can only go to these few channels.

The logs are created with a slightly older version than RC2, but the problem is still there. The other problem shown in the logs (when going into standby) has already been fixed.

Second problem (No logs, please tell me what to do with it): I almost always go into standby while watching TV. I configured MediaPortal in such a way that it should continue with what it was last doing, which is watching full screen TV. It seems that sometimes either TV-Server is too slow or Medialportal is too fast, but it shows "Connection lost to server" or something along those lines. In about 20% of the cases it DOES continue properly. There are some delays configurable, but those all apply to starting up MediaPortal. Also, I have PowerScheduler configured to reinitialize my card anytime I resume from standby.

 

[kkendall]

Did you remove the mediaportal manually?
I did have this problem too, and after I installed RC2 over RC1 almost all of my problems still existed. After I first uninstalled MP and all of it's components, and than installed RC2 most of my problems were gone and I haven't noticed this issue anymore ( I had the same problem as you did, but with other channels). I have to say that I reshuffled my channels after the install of RC2 so I'm not 100% sure the problem is gone.

 

[nschoot]

This problem has been around for me since the early builds of RC1... Not sure if it even existed before that, but good chance it has. I have had several clean installs since then. For RC2 I started from scratch again.

 

[infinite.loop]

moved to TV-Server forums

 

[tourettes]

Could you try if increasing the CAM limit (setuptv.exe / card settings) to something like 10 or 100 is solving the issue?

 

[infinite.loop]

Your logs show some quite "funky" exceptions.

like this one from MP

2008-07-15 09:17:45.984375 [ERROR][MPMain]: Error stopping graph: (1)
2008-07-15 09:18:01.203125 [ERROR][MPMain]: Exception   :System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at MediaPortal.Player.g_Player.doStop(Boolean keepTimeShifting, Boolean keepExclusiveModeOn)
   at MediaPortal.Player.g_Player.Stop()
   at MediaPortal.Plugins.Process.PowerScheduler.UserShutdownNowCB(Int32 p1, Int32 p2, Object d)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Library.GUIWindowManager.CallbackMsg(GUIMessage msg)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Library.GUIWindowManager.SendMessage(GUIMessage message)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Library.GUIWindowManager.DispatchThreadMessages()
   at MediaPortalApp.FrameMove()
2008-07-15 09:18:01.203125 [ERROR][MPMain]: Exception   :Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
2008-07-15 09:18:01.234375 [ERROR][MPMain]:   site      :Void doStop(Boolean, Boolean)
2008-07-15 09:18:01.234375 [ERROR][MPMain]:   source    :Core
2008-07-15 09:18:01.234375 [ERROR][MPMain]:   stacktrace:   at MediaPortal.Player.g_Player.doStop(Boolean keepTimeShifting, Boolean keepExclusiveModeOn)
   at MediaPortal.Player.g_Player.Stop()
   at MediaPortal.Plugins.Process.PowerScheduler.UserShutdownNowCB(Int32 p1, Int32 p2, Object d)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Library.GUIWindowManager.CallbackMsg(GUIMessage msg)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Library.GUIWindowManager.SendMessage(GUIMessage message)
   at MediaPortal.GUI.Library.GUIWindowManager.DispatchThreadMessages()
   at MediaPortalApp.FrameMove()

You are using a floppy card, and these are know to work like a charm.

I would suggest the following.

1. deinstall current MediaPortal (select complete cleanup! - copy MediaPortal folder and userfiles i.e. TV-Logos to a save place to not loose anything )
2. deinstall current TV-Server (select complete cleanup!)
3. deinstall your SQL-Server
4. delete the SQL-Server installation folder
5. run windowsupdate and install all available updates
6. install the new dvb-fix (listed on requirements page)
7. go to the floppy-dtv hompage and download the latest firmware for your floppy
8. if you are using a CAM, update its firmware as well
9. reboot your PC
10. now dowload the MediaPortal 1.0 RC2 installer and let it install all components
11. reboot your PC
12. DO NOT INSTALL ANY COMMUNITY PLUGINS OR SKINS AT THIS POINT PLEASE !
13. now start TV-Server Configuration and run a scan for your channels
14. reboot your PC
15. now start MediaPortal using "Start -> Team MediaPortal -> MediaPortal -> MediaPortal Debug"
16. try if you can still reproduce the issue, if you can then please attach the created log.zip on MediaPortal exit

please do not configure anything else then described above. also do not enable any other plugins.

 

[nschoot]

Apologies if I haven't been clear... But those errors are due to a bug in one of the latest RC1 versions (fixed in RC2) concerning going into standby while watching TV... :sorry:

I tried to be efficient and make one log containing three issues, but that's now working against me...

I'll first try to make some new logs (using RC2) and see whether the "funkyness" is gone... I'll also try to increase the CAM settings.

Thanks so far.

 

[nschoot]

Increasing the CAM setting from 1 to 10 fixed the problem.

This made me wonder about my FireDTV card.... So I tried to record a channel while watching another. MP didn't allow me to go just any channel, but I was able to watch some channels while recording with the same card... I never knew this was possible with one FireDTV card? MP seemed to completely lose track as it clearly didn't expect me to be able to watch TV while recording

 

[johnzered]

Increasing the CAM setting from 1 to 10 fixed the problem.

This made me wonder about my FireDTV card.... So I tried to record a channel while watching another. MP didn't allow me to go just any channel, but I was able to watch some channels while recording with the same card... I never knew this was possible with one FireDTV card? MP seemed to completely lose track as it clearly didn't expect me to be able to watch TV while recording

You can read about it here: TV-Server/tvcards - MediaPortal Wiki Documentation
it's called "Multi channel decoding" this means as long as the channels are on the same transponder you should be able to record multiple shows while still watching another until you reach the maximum number of channels the cam can decode at once or possible any another limitation that I don't know of.

//johnzered

 

[nschoot]

That's just great info Is there anyway that MP can show which channels are on the same transponder? I could think of a whole set of functionalities there, but this is probably not the correct forum for this...